The Republic in Danger

Drusus Libo and the Succession of Tiberius

Andrew Pettinger

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 International licence

Provides the text and translation of key sources

Offers a new and compelling model for understanding the end of Augustus' reign and the succession of Tiberius

Contains an appendix of Family Trees which helps the reader consider and understand the complex family relationships described

Part of the OAPEN-UK project

The Republic in Danger

Drusus Libo and the Succession of Tiberius

Andrew Pettinger

Description

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 International licence. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.

The Republic in Danger offers a new interpretation of Roman political history for the years 6 BC to AD 16, focusing especially on the rise of Tiberius Caesar and his succession to Augustus, the founder of the Principate.

The volume proposes a new and compelling model for understanding the end of Augustus' reign and the succession of Tiberius. While Tiberius' rise to supreme power was at the expense of Augustus' grandsons, who were all dead by the time Augustus was laid to rest, their supporters remained unconvinced that life was possible under the rule of Tiberius. The result was an alliance between the enemies of Tiberius and M. Scribonius Drusus Libo. Drusus Libo, an aristocrat connected to the house of the Caesar, committed suicide in AD 16 while on trial for treason. Pettinger argues that Drusus Libo's prosecution was due to his alliance with Tiberius' enemies who were planning to destroy his government and replace tyranny with republican democracy. Pettinger offers a comprehensive analysis of the struggle between Tiberius and the supporters of Augustus' grandsons, which has repercussions for our understanding of the creation of the Principate at Rome.

"Pettinger...provides valuable insight into various conspiracies of the period, which he treats with the attention they merit. The book is well-written, very well-researched and enjoyable to read, whether one agrees with his conclusions or not. He offers an original interpretation of a period we all feel that we 'know', a feat which is noteworthy in and of itself. The study, then, fills an important gap and will hopefully draw greater attention to the period of Augustan succession." - Sanjaya Thakur, Journal of Roman Archaeology

The Republic in Danger

Drusus Libo and the Succession of Tiberius

Andrew Pettinger

From Our Blog

By Andrew Pettinger I was recently invited by Oxford University Press (OUP) to have my book, The Republic in Danger, published on the online open access library OAPEN. After a few general questions, I happily accepted. Why?